Cyprus Workshop in Washington

Dr. Meltem Onurkan Samani, General Coordinator of the Cyprus Peace and Dialogue Center, shared insights about the Cyprus workshop held in Washington, D.C.

During her appearance on a TV program today, Dr. Meltem Onurkan Samani provided details about the five-day Cyprus workshop recently held in Washington, D.C., in response to questions from Oshan Sabırlı, from Genc TV.

Dr. Onurkan Samani described the workshop as one of the most comprehensive meetings on the Cyprus issue held in abroad in recent years. Participants assessed that the 50/60-year-long Cyprus problem could be resolved in a short period, provided there is political will and a review of negotiation methods. The workshop emphasized the importance of informing both communities about the urgency and feasibility of a solution and including civil society in the current peace and resolution processes.

The workshop was organized by the Carter School at George Mason University in collaboration with the Cyprus Peace and Dialogue Center (CPDC) and Future Worlds Center (FWC). It was held at the Point of View facilities in Washington, D.C., and included 22 participants from both sides of the island. Notable attendees included Meltem Onurkan Samani, Özdil Nami, İpek Borman, Mustafa Besim, Ahmet Sözen, and social media influencer İbrahim Beycanlı (Urban Cypriot) from the north, as well as newly elected Member of the European Parliament and social media influencer Panayiotou Fidias, Charis Psaltis, and Neophytos Loizides from the south.

During the workshop, Andreas Mavroyiannis and Özdil Nami delivered a joint presentation assessing how close a solution had been reached at the current stage of the Cyprus issue.

Observers from both the United Nations and the U.S. Department of State attended the workshop.

The event featured speeches by Katherine Doherty, former U.S. Ambassador to Cyprus, and Elizabeth Spehar, former Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Cyprus.

Facilitators for the workshop included Yiannis Laouris, İlke Dağlı, and Gül Gür Mescioglu.